Page 37 of She's the Star

“Ahhh, yes, the famous love child with Teddy Lance.”

“Dad.” I’m horrified by his playful tone. And his words.

He chuckles. “Relax. I’ve had more than a few love children myself.”

“You can’t say things like that,” I hiss. I’m hesitant to even glance at Amber. What if she’s offended? What could I possibly say to make his joking less horrible?

He reaches out and ruffles Maddy’s hair.

Maddy takes his touch as an invitation and leans forward. He swipes her from me with a charming smile. My heart thuds in my chest, he’s harmless and good with kids, but Amber doesn’t know that. “I’ve always had a way with the ladies, no?”

My goodness. Could he be more inappropriate? “Dad,” I groan. “Stop.”

I turn to Amber to reassure her that while he doesn’t employ discretion when it comes to himself, he is able to when it comes to children. She pats my arm and laughs softly. It’s a sound I’ve never heard her make before. Is it possible that she isn’t as horrified as I am?

“I’ve heard that about you,” she says dryly.

Some of my embarrassment fades. Not all, but some.

“My reputation proceeds me. Although, none of my kids have achieved quite the same level of notoriety as Maddy,” he says with a pout.

And the embarrassment comes roaring back. Why doesn’t he have a filter?

“Perhaps your exes aren’t famous enough,” she quips with a completely straight face.

“It’s hard to be more famous than me,” he responds.

“Is it?” she asks with a raised eyebrow.

“Touché,” He barks out a laugh. “I like you.”

“I guess you’re alright, too,” she deadpans.

“My ego.” He shakes his head, still chuckling. “But seriously, don’t worry if my next girlfriend is properly famous. I got snipped a couple of years ago, so there’s no chance I’ll have a baby who can topple Maddy’s place at the top of the list of famous celebrity children.”

I rub my temples and share a pained grimace with my brother.

“Boundaries,” he says to our father.

Amber huffs a laugh. “The prospect that you might have a more famous child was keeping me up at night.”

Thankfully, Brian interrupts before my father can say anything else embarrassing. “I’m sorry, Mr. Gage, but Amber needs to get on stage. I’ll send someone to escort you to your seats.”

In a flurry, Amber thanks my father for his support, kisses Maddy, and departs with Brian and Mina.

My father watches her go and then turns and grins at me with a twinkle in his eye as he passes Maddy back to me. “That was fun.”

“I’m sorry,” my brother interjects. “He didn’t give me a heads up of why he wanted to come to the show, but I should have suspected something when he practically demanded I join him.”

“It’s fine. Although”—I pin my father with a narrow glare—“if Amber wasn’t such a good sport, that would have been awkward. You can’t say stuff like that out loud.”

He waves his hand in the air. “Everyone knows Amber Hope is nice. She handles everything with grace. It’s one of the things she’s famous for.”

He isn’t wrong. Although her music is what made her famous, her kindness and graciousness has become legendary. I can’t help but wonder what it costs her to smile and joke regardless of the circumstances. I mean—my father is harmless, but not everyone is. How does she always keep a smile on her face?

Even during our first encounter, when she wasn’t sure what to do, she was mostly rational and controlled. Since I started working for her, I’ve noticed how she goes out of her way to make sure everyone in her sphere is happy.

Who makes sure she’s happy?

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